Illinois State University (ISU) is requiring students to pass a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) course to be eligible to graduate.
This requirement will be applicable to all students that enroll in the university beginning in the Fall 2023 semester.
A local NPR outlet reports that specifics on the requirement, collectively known as the IDEAS courses, will be made public prior to the spring 2023 semester.
IDEAS stands for “Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access in U.S. Society.”
The mandatory diversity courses are, “designed to recognize the benefits and challenges of living in a diverse society and to address the influence of power among social groups within the United States,” according to the university website.
ISU has made multiple efforts to increase diversity on its campus.
In March, the university announced a $4.5 million faculty retention initiative based on those individuals’ commitments to DEI.
The new graduation requirement is an outcome of recommendations for a diversity requirement made by ISU’s Campus Climate Assessment Task Force in 2017.
The Campus Climate Task Force’s recommendations were voted on in 2021.
Illinois State University did not respond to Campus Reform’s request for comment at the time of publication.
Reporting from Campus Reform.
